The Last Chance Flowers
by sctwilightvampwolfgal
Summary: Marinette knows that Ladybug can't give Adrien flowers, and Marinette hasn't had a chance to despite her best efforts. Maybe, this way she could finally give him the flowers despite Tikki's warnings and the fact that Marinette really knows that she shouldn't. *End of Season Three Spoilers.* *Written for Day Three of Love Square Fluff Week 2020.*


Marinette just couldn't find a time or a way to gift Adrien, the flowers that the shopkeeper had helped her pick out. Ladybug couldn't even get him alone, never mind the fact that she knew that Ladybug shouldn't be the one to give him the flowers, but what was a girl to do? At this rate, Valentine's will be an absolute week away. Marinette stared down the cute pink and red flowers, meant to detail gentle affection, friendship, and the blossoming of love. She hoped that she'd gotten it right, and besides, the colors looked very Valentine-y.

Just Adrien was busy basically twenty four seven, Alya had been no help, what with Nino paying for a romantic dinner date with his girlfriend, not to mention whatever he'd wrapped especially to give to his girlfriend today. Marinette had no idea how she'd feel if it was an engagement ring. They were still fourteen years old, so she doubted that was what was in his wrapped gift. It was much too big for a ring anyway.

Marinette is fidgety when she hears the Akuma Alert go off, grateful for Alya's ingenuity, and she leaps to the Miraculous Box despite Tikki's weird look.

"Ladybug needs to save the day, and Marinette needs to finally give Adrien some flowers. She's tugging the Mouse Miraculous into her arms against Tikki's warnings and the Snake Miraculous beside it. Ladybug was needed right away, but maybe Aspik could help out today, maybe.

She knew instinctively that she should just recruit Viperion, but how would she give Adrien flowers if Luka was by her side instead. Marinette's transforming into Ladybug before she could let nerves take her over, carefully pocketing both the Snake Miraculous and the Mouse Miraculous.

* * *

"Cat Noir, where's Adrien?" She's asking, showing the small Miraculous Box at her side, not particularly wanting to wait and debate everything else later.

"You need Adrien?" His voice goes up a pitch.

"Only for a little bit." Ladybug reassures him, realizing belatedly that the fight didn't go well last time that Adrien was called in, and that she'd have to slip away as Multimouse to give Ladybug a chance to show up. It felt far more convoluted in actuality than it had in her head.

"Okay. I think I saw him over there." Cat Noir pointed and then was gone. Ladybug shook her head.

Ladybug is fidgety as Adrien returns instead of her beloved partner, and she smiles as she tentatively asks the question, "Will you be willing to step in as Aspik today?"

"Are you sure you want me to?" He asks her, green eyes so sincere that she nearly melts.

"Yes." Ladybug answers,"But, I'm sending help for the beginning of the battle too. I'll be back by the end." She doesn't explain as she hands him the Miraculous and takes off.

Already, she can hear Tikki's complaints and feels ashamed at the words.

"I'm sorry, Tikki." Marinette feels sorry too. "I just need to get him the flowers, and then it will be okay. I'll transform back. Last time, Ladybug gave him a gift, it didn't go so well. I knew I couldn't do that again." She's rambling, and it makes her feel extremely guilty. She wishes that the rambly words didn't come so easily.

Tikki gives her a pointed look, and Marinette can already tell that if this doesn't go well, things won't go so well. She transforms into Multimouse before she could change her mind and darts back.

"Aspik?" She lets the surprise bounce around in her voice as she finally returns to her partner in fighting the Akuma for the day. Aspik turns to her with so much surprise that she isn't sure what to think.

"Yeah? Multimouse?" He seems just as surprised as she sounded, and Multimouse unexpectedly relaxes.

"Yeah, we've got this." Multimouse tries to make her voice sound steady as she readies herself to fight by her crush which is a lot harder than it sounds.

* * *

In the middle of the battle, she pulls him aside, realizing belatedly that now he'll think Marinette had a crush on Aspik or rather Multimouse has a crush on Aspik, because Adrien doesn't know who she is behind the mask.

"Adrien?" Stumbles out before she can stop herself, "I mean, Aspik." She grumbles inwardly against her own tendency to butcher her words around him.

"Yes?" Adrien looks so surprised and taken aback behind the mask, that she hopes she doesn't ruin this for him, even though she knows that she probably won't call on him again like this.

"I-I got you something." She shifts to hold out the flowers that she bought him, "And, today seemed as good as an opportunity as any." She congratulates herself on not stuttering around him.

"Thank you." He accepts them kindly, though she catches just how soft his smile has become and how pink his face is already getting.

"You're welcome." Multimouse smiles, "I'll have to thank Ladybug later for having as work together today, but speaking of Ladybug, I really need to get going, she'll be back soon." She hopes that that isn't suspicious despite how odd it all sounds.

"Okay, I have to thank her too." Somehow, Marinette's belly feels warm as she hops away to switch to who is needing in saving the day and doesn't look back and see Aspik rush home with the flowers and eventually return as Cat Noir again.

The thought doesn't really occur to her to realize that just maybe, she'd confessed as Marinette to Adrien despite the masks. She really can't figure out why the next day at school, Adrien keeps turning around to smile up at her. The soft look in his eyes makes her heart melt, and her mind go fuzzy. At least, Rena Rouge, Viperion, Ladybug, and Cat Noir had saved the day yesterday, allowing today to be as sweet and soft as it is.


End file.
